Position: 11:59.856N 61:45.654W

Since the beginning of this school year so far, I need to report that there's been a change on Quest. Lulu's been in school; an actual school. Not just a session in a workbook and then a little leafing through the encyclopaedia. An online school. Writing this, I feel like Bryn in Gavin and Stacey when he enunciates the words, 'You Tube'. Like could something this amazing actually exist?

 

The idea started a year ago when we met an Australian boat in Las Palmas. Unfortunately, we can't remember their boat name which is unusual. We've got used to hearing, 'Hey Quest' when we're out and about like we're morphed into our boat. For some reason with the Aussies though, we picked up the nickname, 'Use-it-or-lose-it, mate,' during a conversation and forever more, instead of their boat name, it’s stuck. Use-It-Or-Lose-It are a proper global outfit, having bought their boat in the UK and are heading back to Oz via the Caribbean and Pacific. Long ago they ran a boatyard for years in Queensland and brought their kids up onboard. The kids went to Radio School or Bush School; school for kids who live in the outback. Every morning their kids sat at the nav desk, turned on the VHF radio and school would begin. Rather embarrassingly the day I met them, I was having an education-based meltdown in the midday Canarian sun. Both kids looking like I was trying to suck out their souls was a bit much so I went outside to breathe, don't kill them, breathe, and met the lady from Use-it-or-Lose-it on the pontoon. She was cleaning her fold-up bike with a soapy bucket. When she mentioned Radio School, my ears pricked up like I'd just picked up an extra-terrestrial signal. 'Really?' I said, 'and they liked it?' 'Liked it?' Use-it-or-Lose-it snorted back, ever the pragmatic Australian, 'they loved it. Much better than me prattling on. My kids could get on with learning and we got on together much better.' She looked up. 'Do you want to buy a bike?' I imagined the look on the Captain's face if I'd brought something else back to Quest and politely declined. She shrugged. 'Suit yourself.' Later that day, we watched both Use-it-or-Lose-its wheel their bikes away down the pontoon and return later carrying two brand new spear guns. Suddenly, I'd never felt so sorry for a fish.

Don't get me wrong. I like teaching my kids. We have good days and less good days together. Good days are great even euphoric, well at least for me....on other days sharpening our pencils is the highlight. Overall, to cater for both of them without the other getting bored is well, hard. For this reason, meeting Use-It-Or-Lose-It planted a little seed. One I thought would never be watered, though I did look up Bush School in the middle of the night when no one was looking. Then something weird happened. In July we installed serious solar panels in Grenada Marine, having learnt by experience that power onboard is the key to all things technological. We were mostly considering our investment as an aid to boat equipment; making it possible to sail without engine or generator for longer with plotters and auto-pilots whirring and ticking away in the background. But check this out; what's it's actually done has had much more immediate result: charging the computer. Ahhhhhh.... Both a tiny and massive change. You lucky landlubbers. 

We didn't know how it was going to go at first. British school, duh, we're in the Caribbean, software requirements, internet data requirements, battery life on the computer, all the boring stuff. Nothing seemed certain. Then there's the time difference. Five hours back from the UK, well Wales more specifically. Wales! I studied the school’s website longingly. This fact made me love it more. The school is based in Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons and we know Crickhowell; we drive through it going down to the M4 and always stop at the service station since it has the cheapest fuel for miles around. In fact, years ago on a freezing January night, a much smaller Lulu really needed a wee and I let her go in the corner of the forecourt. The service station attendant had a murderous look when we went to pay. 'I'm going to have to get the sand out and treat it as hazardous waste.' Jack had his hands on his hips on the way back to the car. 'You let her go in the forecourt?' I shrugged. Oops. Still, the next time we went they'd installed a bathroom. Wonder how many kids and big kids ended up peeing in the corner of the forecourt… Ok, probably just us. Still, now we get to wash our hands.  

So for the last six weeks (although this week we're in the heady zone of 'half-term', cue Bryn again from Gavin and Stacey) Lulu's been getting up. Early. Before dawn sometimes. To be honest I wasn't sure she would. I get up first, make coffee for me and hot chocolate for her, plug her in and through the amazing hotspot magic of an iPhone we hear those lilting Welsh voices begin. And every single time, Loopy Lu gets up. Her lessons are live, real-streamed using a programme called Blackboard Collaborate. And it works. When the first lesson is done, the sky is red and on more than one occasion a turtle is mooching around Quest, gently moving the surface of the water with its beak. We look at the turtle and back at the screen. Would they believe us? 

Love from Quest and her crew xx